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Chiropractor South Elgin shares intermediate level abdominal exercise.

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Involves no equipment.
This exercise works the abdominal, oblique internal/external, iliopsoa muscles.
The purpose is to increase abdominal strength and muscular endurance.
The benefits include improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention.

Begin lying on floor.
Lift knees so that a 90º position is attained at hip and knees. Place hands beside ears. Activate core.
Lift shoulder off floor approximately 6 inches attempting to bring elbow toward opposite opposite knee so that both simultaneously meet.

Return to start position and repeat on opposite side. Continue alternating sides until recommended repetitions are complete.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

Auto Accidents

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auto-accidents-pic
55% of auto accidents result in an injury each year. Pain from car crashes can become worse over time.

South Elgin Chiropractor Links Obesity to Low Back Pain

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Low back pain has been recognized

as a problem of epidemic proportions.

It’s estimated that approximately 80%

of the North American population will

experience debilitating back pain at

some point in their adult lives.1 It’s no

surprise that more and more people are

seeking chiropractors to find relief.

What’s even more alarming is the

apparent link between the incidence of

low back pain and obesity. According

to the American Obesity Association,

64.5% of adult Americans (about 127

million) are considered overweight or

obese.2 Recent evidence suggests that

obesity seriously impacts the musculoskeletal

system, increasing the risk of

low back pain as well as osteoarthritis,

spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc

disease and spinal stenosis.3 One study

in particular showed that people who

underwent surgery to help them lose

weight also experienced less low back

pain. 4

Causes and Effects of

Obesity and Back Pain

Some studies suggest that the link

between obesity and low back pain is

inconclusive.5 But they’re several

obvious reasons why an obese person

would experience more of this type of

pain.

First, we should look at the common

causes of obesity.

If we exclude certain

genetic or hormonal diseases, we

discover North American obesity is

primarily related to poor nutrition and

lack of exercise. Our meals are often

high in saturated fat and low in essential

fatty acids. This leaves us prone to

inflammatory states like arthritis. The

large amounts of caffeine we consume

also robs the skeleton of its bonebuilding

calcium.6 And if we take into

account our sedentary lifestyle, the

body lacks the necessary weightbearing

effects to maintain a fortified

skeletal structure. The result is an

increased incidence of osteoporosis and

bone fractures.As a person packs on more weight,

moving around becomes difficult.

Therefore, many obese people choose

to remain inactive. But this leads to big

problems. Lack of movement in the

joints can accelerate degenerative

changes, which are seen in cases of

osteoarthritis. If an obese person does

remain active, the extra body weight

puts additional stress and strain on the

muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints.

Postural changes are also common in

obese people, usually caused by

carrying extra weight in their abdomen.

As the size of the mid-section

increases, the person’s center of gravity

shifts forward and the lower back curve

is exaggerated to accommodate for

these changes. This adds more compressive

loads on the joints of the lower

back, increasing the risk of subluxation

and pain.

This South Elgin Chiropractor

Gives Tips On What You Can Do

About Weight Problems.

When faced with any health issue, the

first thing you should do is consult with

healthcare professionals. Your medical

doctor can order blood tests to rule out

hormonal imbalances or genetic

metabolic disorders. Your South Elgin

chiropractor is knowledgeable in nutrition and

exercise and is an excellent source for

help in these areas.

Secondly, take control of the two

most powerful factors controlling your

body weight: diet and exercise. Portion

control is one of the easiest ways to

reduce excess body fat. Eat slowly and

stop consuming when you’re no longer

hungry. Eating because your body

needs the fuel is different than eating

because you enjoy the food.

Think of the body as a machine with

moving parts, and give it the right fuel

to keep the engine running smoothly.

Before starting an exercise program,

also check with your chiropractor.

Weeks, months or years of

inactivity can leave your body too

weak to pick up where you left off.

Consider hiring a personal trainer. If

cost is a factor, have the trainer design

a starting program that you can do on

your own, then update the program

every six weeks or so. This gives you

the best chance for continued progress,

and keeps you more interested as your

exercise routine varies.

Above all else, keep a positive mental

attitude. Read about people who have

achieved what you’re setting out to do,

and tell yourself,

“If they did it, so can I!”

Value your health, and experience

how the aches and pains get less and

less as your body gets lighter and

References and Sources:
1. Skinner HB. Current Diagnosis &
Treatment in Orthopedics.
Lange Medical Books. New York;
2000.
2. AOA Fact Sheets. 2002.
American Obesity Association.
http://www.obesity.org/subs/fastfac
ts/aoafactsheets.shtml
3. Silveri CP & Spinasanta S.
Back pain and obesity: connection
to back pain and the development
of obesity.
4. Melissas J, Volakakis E,
Hadjipavlou A. Low back pain in
morbidly obese patients and the
effect of weight loss following
surgery.
Obes Surg. 2003;13:389–393.
5. Mirtz TA & Greene L. Is obesity a
risk factor for low back pain? An
example of using the evidence to
answer a clinical question.
Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2005; 13(2).
Online source:
http://www.chiroandosteo.com/con
tent/13/1/2/ABSTRACT%3CSCRIPT/
comments.
6. Hernandez-Avila M, Stampfer MJ,
Ravnikar VA, Willett WC, Schiff I,
Francis M, Longcope C, McKinlay
SM. Caffeine and other predictors
of bone density among pre-and
peri-menopausal women.
Epidemiology 1993 Mar; 4(2):
128-34.

VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY STRONGLY LINKED TO DIABETES AND HEART DISEASE

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A new study published in Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Obesity looks at the impact of Vitamin D deficiency on diabetes and cardiovascular risk, and says more research is definitely warranted.

The study connects the well-known worldwide prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency to rising incidences of cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2, as well as cancer, autoimmune and dental diseases.

Reviewing all relevant literature shows plausible molecular mechanisms of the role played by Vitamin D, leading the researchers to conclude that “treatment with Vitamin D supplements appears to be an effective and inexpensive treatment that deserves to be explored.”

The background that inspired the new study states: “Vitamin D deficiency is newly recognized as a common condition of increasing prevalence worldwide. Clinically, Vitamin D has an established role in calcium and bone metabolism and has recently been shown to be associated with increased risk of developing type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as with cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and obesity.”

The exact molecular mechanisms that connect all the dots are still not fully understood. But the active metabolite of vitamin D regulates numerous genetic effects, obviating its connection to diabetes and other disease states.

Presently, there are no recommendations to screen for Vitamin D deficiency. But there are many known risk factors:

Lack/reduced sun exposure
Nutritional/absorptive problems
Reduced Vitamin D synthesis
Reduced bioavailability
Increased requirements
Medications that accelerate conversion of Vitamin D to inactive metabolites

Although Vitamin D deficiency is frequently unrecognized clinically, here at Lifetime Health and Wellness we know that laboratory measurement is easy to perform and treatment of Vitamin D deficiency is relatively well tolerated and inexpensive, the study says. Rising vitamin D deficiency and the many health-related conditions associated with it suggest the need for appropriate Vitamin D supplementation.

SOURCE: Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Obesity, April 2010 http://journals.lww.com/co-endocrinology/Fulltext/2010/04000/The_impact_of_vitamin_D_deficiency_on_diabetes_and.3.aspx

Chiropractor South Elgin shares low back exercises for beginners.

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Here is a simple exercises that you can do at home with no equipment.
It works the multifidus, erector spinae, transverse abdominus, oblique muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to Increase low back strength and muscular endurance. By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of Improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention

Begin lying on your back.
Extend arms above head flat on floor.
Activate core and lift knees above hips and maintain a 90/90 hip and knee position.
Activate core.
Lift one arm off the floor and raise it towards ceiling until above shoulder level while simultaneously extending one leg downward towards floor.
Pause momentarily.
Return to start position, alternating sides.
Core activation should be maintained throughout entire exercise.
Repeat for recommended repetitions and sets.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

Disc Pain

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disc-pain-pic
Disc pain can wreak havoc if not treated properly. At Corona Physical Medicine, we have years of experience treating disc pain.

South Elgin Chiropractor shares ankle exercises for beginners.

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Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no equipment.
It works the peroneus longus/brevis, tibialis anterior, tibialis posterior, gastrocnemius, soleus muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to improve muscular endurance, ankle strength, and proprioception.
By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of Improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention.


Begin seated in a chair with good posture.
Extend leg.
Attempt to write alphabet from A through Z with toes, moving ankle in all directions.
Repeat for prescribed sets.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

Back Pain and Headache Help in S. Elgin

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Can Back Pain Really
Be“All In Our Heads”?
Researchers analyzed a survey
distributed to college students to find
out the prevalence of back pain in this
population. The survey revealed up to
38% of the students reported having
significant back pain within the previous
school year.
Of the students with back pain,
researchers found that only psychosocial
factors remained statistically
significant as being associated with the
symptoms. In the end, it appeared that
chronic fatigue or emotionally-abusive
relationships were the most strongly
associated with their back pain.3
Dr Schening your South Elgin  chiropractor knows that
life-stress can be a significant cause of
muscle tension and subluxations.
Chiropractic adjustments help relieve
tension throughout the body and reduce
fatigue associated with it.

The “Pop” and Pain
Relief
Researchers wanted to know whether
the pop heard during the chiropractic
adjustment really makes any difference
to the level of pain relief perceived by
the patient versus when no noise was
heard during the adjustment.
The researchers enlisted 40
asymptomatic patients and first tested
them for thermal pain sensitivity on
their legs and lower backs to create
baseline values. Then, the patients
underwent a lumbar adjustment. For
some, the audible pop was associated
with the movement and for others it
was not. All subjects were then
re-tested for thermal sensitivity.

The results may surprise you.
Researchers found that there was a
significant reduction in thermal pain
sensitivity after the lumbar adjustment,
whether or not a sound was heard
during the maneuver!4 So, you don’t
need to hear a pop to know that the
chiropractic adjustment is helping you.

References and Sources:

2. Weber Hellstenius, SA.
Recurrent Neck Pain and
Headaches in Preadolescents
Associated with Mechanical
Dysfunction of the Cervical Spine:
A Cross-Sectional Observational
Study With 131 Students. JMPT
2009 (Oct.); 32(8): 625-634.
3. Gilkey DP, Keefe TJ, Peel JL,
Kassab OM & Kennedy CA. Risk
Factors Associated With Back
Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study of
963 College Students. JMPT 2010
(Feb.); 33(2): 88-95.
4. Bialosky JE, Bishop MD,
Robinson ME & George SZ. The
Relationship of the Audible Pop to
Hypoalgesia Associated With
High-Velocity, Low-Amplitude
Thrust Manipulation: A Secondary
Analysis of an Experimental Study
in Pain-Free Participants. JMPT
2010; 33: 117-124.

KNEE PAIN RELIEF, THIS WAS FOUND INEFFECTIVE

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Results of a recent study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that arthroscopy is not an effective procedure to relieve arthritis knee pain.

Arthroscopic surgery is performed on at least 225,000 middle-aged Americans each year. The procedure requires three small incisions to be made in the knee, through which an arthroscope is inserted to give the surgeon a view of the joint. Debris is flushed from the knee or rough areas of cartilage are shaved from the joint. 180 patients participated in the Baylor College of Medicine study. Each patient was randomly assigned to have the arthroscopy surgery or a placebo surgery, where the surgeons would make incisions in their knees to simulate an operation.

160 patients, who completed the trial, were assessed two years after the study from self-reported scores to measure knee pain and knee function and an objective test consisting of walking and stair climbing.

None of the patients who had the knee surgery reported less pain or better function than the placebo group, at any point of the study.

If you are in the South Elgin area and are suffering with knee pain and want to avoid surgery, please give us a call here at Lifetime Health and Wellness for a free initial consultation. Our medical staff  here in South Elgin have helped many people avoid surgery.

SOURCE: New England Journal of Medicine, July 11, 2002, 347;(2):81-8; New York Times, www.nytimes.com, July 11, 2002; WebMD, www.my.webmd.com.

 

Chiropractor South Elgin shares shoulder exercises for beginners.

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Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no equipment.
It works the areas related to the shoulder such as deltoid – anterior, deltoid – lateral, pec major – clavical head, and coracobrachialis muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to Increase shoulder strength and muscular endurance. By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of Improved stability, functional strength and injury p
Begin on floor on hands and knees.
Hips should be above knees and shoulders above hands. Attain a straight spine position.
Activate core muscles. While maintaining a straight spine, reach forward until arm is at shoulder level. Slowly return to start position.
Repeat for prescribed repetitions and sets.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.